The Infallibility of the Imam from Birth: A Lexical Analysis of Sadiq, Zalim, and the Continuous Will of Purification (An Exegetical Approach)‎

Document Type : The Quarterly Jornal

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Shi'a Studies, Faculty of Theology, University of Qom, ‎Qom, ‎

Abstract

The principle of infallibility ('isma), as the most crucial characteristic of the imamate, can be discussed from various angles. One such aspect is its scope. The scope refers to the period of the Imam's life and the actions and attributes it encompasses. One approach to studying this issue is the exegetical (explanatory) approach, as opposed to a comparative one. This approach relies on revelatory texts to extract and infer propositions related to the scope of infallibility, followed by their explanation and analysis.To prove the temporal scope of the Imam's infallibility from the beginning of birth, three Quranic verses—the verses of Sadiqin, Ibtila, and Tathir—have been analyzed from a lexical and content-based perspective. The argument posits that the absolute necessity of following the Sadiqin (the Imams, according to narrations), the denial of imamate to any wrongdoer (zalim), and God's continuous creative will (irada takwini) for the purification of the Ahl al-Bayt are only consistent with the Imam's infallibility from birth. Otherwise, a naqdh al-gharad (a contradiction or inconsistency in the meaning of the verse) would arise, and the verses' significance would not be clear.

Keywords

References

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